The 2010 REACHE Conference

Does Research Make a Difference?  Contemporary Cesarean Research and its Relevance to Practice

This presentation will summarize research related to cesarean section and examine how and if it is related to contemporary practices in maternity care. For example to what extent is the rising rate of cesarean section related to changes in demographic characteristics of mothers (e.g. older age at first birth), maternal behaviors and attitudes (e.g. maternal request cesareans), shifts in health risk profiles (e.g. more diabetes) and/or changes in provider and hospital practices.

Eugene Declercq, PhD is Professor of Community Health Sciences and Assistant Dean for Doctoral Education at the Boston University School of Public Health and also a professor on the faculty of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Boston University School of Medicine. He was lead author of Listening to Mothers I & II and New Mothers Speak Out -- reports on studies of women’s experiences in childbirth and in the postpartum period.

Changing Obstetrics One Post at a Time

Nicholas Fogelson, MD, academic OB/GYN physician and creator of the blog and podcast "Academic OB/GYN".  Dr. Fogelson will speak about his experiences using social media and the Internet to present evidenced-based information to audiences both inside and outside of medicine, including recent efforts to change practices on immediate cord clamping and VBAC.

Creating Change on the Labor and Delivery Floor

Jeri Pleticha, RN, LMP, and Panel of Local Nurse Managers.  Local area nurses and nurse managers from various hospitals will discuss the challenges they face when dealing with and implementing changes in the standard of care.  Labor and Delivery nurses and nurse managers from St. Joseph in Tacoma, University of Washington Medical Center, Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, Yakima Valley Memorial, and Swedish Medical Center, First Hill in Seattle are confirmed.  This is sure to be a lively discussion with audience participation encouraged!  Moderated by Jeri Pleticha of Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland.

Helping Hospitals Change:

What Childbirth Educators Can Do & Childbirth Education Techniques to Empower Women

Barbara Hotelling, MSN, WHNP-BC, CD(DONA), LCCE, doula and childbirth educator trainer, member of the Leadership Team of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services.  Ms. Hotelling will be speaking specifically about how childbirth educators, doulas, and labor and delivery nurses in attendance can best put to use the morning’s information in order to affect positive change within the constraints of their workplaces.